80 KANSAS Academy of Science. 



spring plumage, might prove the paler form were to be the immature winter dress, 

 it not for the fact that Professor Brewster, in making his examination, had before 

 him not only his own large collection, but that in the National Museum, to aid him, 

 which must have embraced specimens taken at different seasons of the year. 



Tdbdus ustulatds 9WAINSONII ( Cab.) Olive-backed Thrush. June 6, 1886, I 

 saw several of the birds in the timber skirting Crooked creek, in the northern part 

 of Meade county; probably migrants, but so late in the season I think it worthy of 

 mention. 



NOTES ON A EED CEDAR SAW-FLY.* 



BY C. L. MARLATT. 



In the spring of 1885, during the latter part of April and the first of May, a num- 

 ber of saw-flies were observed about some red cedar trees in a yard near Manhattan. 

 By beating the cedars with a sweep net a number of the insects were secured. The 

 males were much more numerous than the females, and resembled them in little other 

 than shape. In color the males are of a shining black, and are somewhat smaller than 

 the honey-yellow-colored females; the antennae of the former are broadly pectinate, 

 of the latter minutely serrate. (Fig. 2, d, c.) 



This saw-fly is nearly related to Lophyrus fulvus Nort. Specimens lately sub- 

 mitted to Mr. E. T. Cresson, of Philadelphia, are pronounced by him to be probably 

 undescribed. If this saw-fly should prove to be unnamed, it may be called Lophyrus 

 {Monoctenus) juniperi. A full description of both sexes is given below. 



No careful search was made for larvte, and none were found. The flies disap- 

 peared early in May. 



On the 20th of April, 1886, the flies were again observed by me about the trees 

 before mentioned, and a careful search resulted in finding some of the females de- 

 positing eggs in the twigs. Flies were afterward seen ovipositing on the cedars on 

 the College grounds and elsewhere in the neighborhood. The following description 

 of the method of oviposition is based on repeated observations of the female at 

 work. 



The fly selects a twig, usually green and new grown, and climbing to the extrem- 

 ity or near it, placing itself with its head away from the trunk, it extends its ovi- 

 positor (Fig. 2, b), and saws or drills through the scale-like leaf. From six to twelve 

 minutes is occupied in depositing an egg, after which the insect flies to a new twig 

 — but rarely is more than one egg placed in a twig before leaving it. The puncture 

 made in the bract may be detected, though with difficulty, by the minute mass of 

 "saw dust" at the point pierced. The punctured scale afterward dies, turns yellow, 

 and becomes somewhat bulged by the increase of the egg in size — frequently crack- 

 ing apart sufficiently to allow the egg to be seen. ( Fig. 1, c.) The whitish oval egg, 

 about ^\ of an inch long ( Fig. 1, b), is found on lifting the scale pierced to be im- 

 mediately beneath and placed in a direction parallel to it. 



The female is much less active than the male, allowing a near approach, and may 

 even be examined through a hand-glass while ovipositing. In early morning or on 

 cool days, both sexes are quite sluggish and may be readily taken. In the warmer 

 portion of the day the males, esjiecially, may be seen flying briskly about the trees, 

 easily taking alarm on a near approach, and when thus alarmed falling — flying off, 



(*The notes on the life history of this Saw-Fly, and those following on the oviposition of the Buffalo 

 Tree-Hopper, were made while the writer was acting as assistant in the Department of Entomology of 

 the Kansas State Agricultural College; and as forming a part of the report of that department, they 

 are reproduced here by permission.] 



